Stop acid attacks: lend your voice

There can be few things that are worse than the plight of a victim. Lend your voice to a campaign that needs to be fought by each one of us, not just by the victims who have already suffered the worst, writes Sanjoy Narayan.

Letter from the Editor

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There can be few things that are worse than the plight of an acid attack victim whose life is destroyed in a few nano seconds.

According to the home ministry’s data, somewhere in India, every third day, a woman becomes a victim of an acid attack. Yet, despite the alarming rate at which lives are corroded, the government has done little to deal with this most horrific crime.

Laxmi was 15 when she became the victim of an acid attack in 2005. A year later, she went to court petitioning for a ban on the sale of acid. Thus began her long, hard legal battle, which ended only recently with the Supreme Court order regulating the sale of this deadly liquid weapon.

But this order is just one small step.

We at Hindustan Times are proud to have begun an initiative to wake up India against acid attacks. Our campaign, which began on July 21, has received overwhelming support from our readers. The life stories of young victims – mainly women – have inspired many to join HT in its fight against acid attacks.

Our readers have come forward to offer jobs, financial assistance and medical care to many of the victims who have boldly shared their trauma and shaken the consciousness of society. Our readers have been our most valuable partners in the Stop Acid Attacks campaign.

After an attack, medical and psychological care is what victims need the most. Join our online campaign and add your signature to our petition demanding that the state reimburses all medical costs and rehabilitates victims who have a right to live with dignity.

Do visit www.hindustantimes.com/stopacidattacks and add power to the petition.

We seek your participation in the fight against acid attacks. You can start at home, by sensitising your family and friends, against a crime that disfigures and scars women.

Lend your voice to a campaign that needs to be fought by each one of us, not just by the victims who have already suffered the worst.

Keep writing in to us and we will keep digging out stories of courage and reporting them in HT.

Join us in the campaign to Stop Acid Attacks.

Sanjoy Narayan
Editor-in-chief

Hindustan Times's coverage of the real stories of determination and grit shown by acid attack victims across the country.

Stirring the conscience

Over the past 10 days, HT has brought to you real stories of determination and grit shown by victims across the country.

July 21, 2013

Laxmi, Delhi
Laxmi was 15 when she was pinned down by a man twice her age and splashed with acid. Her face turned a mass of third-degree burns. Now, at 23, she leads a fierce campaign against acid attacks. Read more

Laxmi (R) with other acid attack victims at the Supreme Court after hearing on a plea filed by her on the regulation of sale of the chemicals at the retail level in New Delhi.

July 22, 2013

Meena Soni, Lucknow
Meena Soni was married off at 16 to a jewellery artisan, who stopped working soon after and got jealous that his beautiful wife was managing the family’s finances. He threw acid on a sleeping Meena and, while she was in hospital, committed suicide. Read more

Acid attack victim Meena Soni has so far got bail for 17 undertrials from the Lucknow Jail.

Haseena Hussain was a bright-eyed computer professional (earlier pic on her table) but she has since lost her sight.

Annu Mukherjee want to be independent and live as normal a life as I possibly can.

July 25, 2013

Ritu Saini, Rohtak
Ritu Saini was an avid volleyball player. But she found herself a pawn in a family property dispute when her aunt hired criminals to attack Ritu with acid to settle scores with the teenager’s parents. She received 90 per cent burns on her face. Read more.

I feel like someone else wearing a misshapen mask, says Ritu Saini.

They emptied an acid bottle in my throat, says survivor Sabina Khatun.

Chanchal Kumari was attacked by a bunch of local hoodlums when she didn’t pay any attention to their overtures.

Are you an acid attack victim? Do you know an acid attack victim? Tell us your story

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